The speaker for the September 13, 2021 meeting is our own Kent Masterson Brown. He has promised to bring several copies of his new book Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command. He will be available before and after the meeting for sales and autographing the books.
President’s Report
I want to welcome every one of you to the 68th year of the Kentucky Civil War Round Table! After two canceled meetings in March and May 2020, and Zoom meetings in September and November 2020 and in January, March and May, 2021, all because of the COVID-19 Pandemic we are finally getting ready to meet in person on Monday, September 13, 2021 at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Newtown Pike. I am most excited about returning to the camaraderie among the members that is the hallmark of the meetings of the Kentucky Civil War Round Table.
We are going to have a great year. Among the speakers will be Steve Hood, who will speak about his new book, Twice Patriots, the stories of prominent Confederate officers and governmental officials who became noted United States Army officers or United States government officials after the Civil War. Many of them were Kentuckians. In addition to Steve, Dr. Kenneth Noe, professor emeritus of Civil War history at Auburn University, will return to speak on how weather affected the outcome of the Civil War, and Dr. Gary Gallagher, professor emeritus of Civil War history at the University of Virginia, will return to speak on Generals Grant and Lee and the Overland Campaign.
To celebrate the return of live meetings of the Kentucky Civil War Round Table, the Board of Directors voted to pay for all but $20.00 of every member’s meal at the September 13th meeting.
I look forward to seeing you all on September 13th. It should be great fun!
Secretary’s Report – C. William Swinford, Jr.
By way of introduction, I am C. William Swinford, Jr. (Bill). I am your new secretary. I have been a member of the Kentucky Civil War Roundtable since 1979. I have been a regular attendee at the Kentucky Civil War Roundtable meetings. The Kentucky Civil War Roundtable started its meetings in the Law Offices of Stoll, Keenon and Park in the First National Building. My father was a member of Stoll, Keenon and Park. As a boy, my father would take me to the visitations of his renowned law partners when they died. William H. Townsend was one of the visitations I attended.
This will be our first in-person meeting since the Spring of 2020. In a prior report, former Secretary A.J. Singleton went into detail on the new reservation system (online). To refresh memories, to RSVP for the September 13, 2021 meeting, please either RSVP online through the KYCWRT Website, kycivilwarroundtable.org, or alternatively, by timely contacting Susie Morton, our Administrator, by email at kcwrt.susie@gmail.com or by phone or text at (859) 221-7199.
If you affirmatively request to receive the Newsletter by mail, you will still receive the traditional RSVP card. Please note, however, that even if you receive the RSVP card in the mail, it is still preferred that you RSVP through the KYCWRT website or by contacting Susie at the email address or number above. Doing so will avoid the possibility that your RSVP card is lost in the mail or not timely received. It will also provide you the comfort of knowing that your RSVP has, in fact, been timely received.
We must still receive your RSVP by the Wednesday before the meeting; otherwise, you (and your guests) are not guaranteed a spot (or a meal) if we do not receive your RSVP card by that Wednesday. Members (and guests) will not be seated (or presented a meal) without timely-made reservations.
We must provide the Embassy Suites with our RSVP numbers by Close of Business the Wednesday before the meeting (i.e. 5:00 PM on Wednesday, September 8th, 2021).
Guests: The KYCWRT is going to have a special price for meals for the September 13, 2021 meeting only. The cost will be $20 per meal for a member and $31 for a guest. Guest fees are $25. Payment is due in advance or at the door.
Cancellations: Any RSVP cancellation needs to be received no later than 4:00 pm of the Friday before the meeting (in this case, by September 10th ). If you need to cancel, please contact Susie at (859) 221-7199. If you do not timely cancel your reservation or miss the meeting, you will be charged for your reserved meal. If you have a new or different email address and/or your physical address has changed, please remember to share that information with Susie at kcwrt.susie@gamail.com and/or me at cwswinford@windstream.net so that we can update our records accordingly.
Treasurer’s Report – Chris Anderson
For 68 years, the Kentucky Civil War Roundtable has remained a viable entity. To that end, and after much thought, the Board of Directors decided to leave the 2022 dues as the same amount for the fourth year in a row. Membership dues remain $85 for single and $100 per couple, dues paid after December 31, 2021, are $100 for single and $120 for a couple. In addition, the guest fee remains at $25.
Dues invoices for 2022 will be sent out in late August. If you did not receive your invoice, please contact Susie at kcwrt.susie@gmail.com.
Our speaker, production and administrative expenses are budgeted for in-person meetings. With a significant decline in membership, we cannot justify a dues reduction and hope to break even at best. Our membership is currently at 234, a long way from our 2020 over 300 membership count. Please encourage your friends and family to consider membership. Applications are available on our website at www.kycivilwarroundtable.org.
Although we held only virtual meetings this year and last, we plan to hold our next meeting in person at the Embassy Suites Hotel on September 13th. For this meeting only, we are offering a reduced meal price for members of $20 and $31 for guests. Keep in mind the speaker presentations will continue to be posted on our website in the event you cannot attend the in-person meetings.
As we are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, your dues are tax-deductible as are any contributions. Please consider the Roundtable in your charitable giving. Anyone requesting financial information can please email me, canderson@americantrust.com.
Administrator’s Report – Susie Morton
Hello Members! I hope your Summer has been good to you all. As you know, we will be back to meeting in person for our September meeting. I, for one, am looking so forward to seeing your faces again all in one place!
The meeting is Monday, September 13th. Please note the date as we are meeting one week ahead of our usual third Monday schedule. As a way to welcome our members back, all member’s meals will be $20 per person for this meeting only. Non-member’s meals will be $31. We encourage members to bring guests and they are always welcome but, for this meeting only, there will be no Guest Passes accepted. Guest fees are $25, and their meals are $31.
Currently, Embassy Suites is not requiring masks to be worn in their meeting rooms. Also, there is not a vaccination prerequisite for admission to a meeting. If their policy changes, I will notify members as soon as possible.
I will be sending out invoices for 2022 Membership Dues at the end of this month. If your mailing preference or mailing address has changed, please let me know as soon as possible. You can reach me at
kcwrt.susie@gmail.com.
